Responsibility
by LunaRowena
Summary: "Now I'm a 'Lady' because I offed some people before they offed me and now I have 'responsibility,' Edér. Responsibility." She spat the word.


Pillars Prompts Weekly #0038: Plans

He found her out back the Hunter's Lodge with a deer strung up a tree. The chest cavity hung open. Beneath, Gideon, her wolf, licked blood from his lips as if he had just been feasting on the internal organs. She was sawing at the knee. Eder leaned up against the building, watching her work. Her red hair was pulled back and showed off the freckles on her neck. He crossed his arms, "What did the deer ever do to you?"

Lillian didn't turn around at the sound of his voice, nor did she start. He had never been known for stealth. "This is what I used to do, Teylecg, before I accidentally got stuck with a damn castle." She finished sawing through the knee and pulled the leg free. Now she turned around to face him. "I shoulda just let Gathbin have it. I was just too damn proud when he wouldn't pay me." She brandished the deer leg while she talked before she noticed what she was doing. Turning back, she threw the leg to Gideon before starting in on another knee. "Now I'm a 'Lady' because I offed some people before they offed me and now I have 'responsibility,' Eder. Responsibility." She spat the word.

He tilted his head. "I've never known you for bein' irresponsible."

She didn't seem to hear him, or didn't want to hear him. "At least you chose to be mayor. The damn keep picked me. And now I have people 'depending on me' and I can't even skin a deer in my own backyard without my friends asking questions. Gods, I miss Sagani." She sighed and sagged as the second leg came free.

He came up behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders, mindful of the blood spatter. "You hear anything from her?"

She shook her head. "Not recently. Got a letter from after she got back. Tried sending a few but I don't know if they got there. Ships don't go down there that often. Get tons of letters from Kana. I don't understand what he's up to, but he seems excited about it."

"See, that's why you can't run off and leave your big, fancy, damn castle." He squeezed her shoulders. "Where would Kana send all those letters to?"

She snorted. "I'm not going to run off. I'd by lying if I said I hadn't thought about it, though. I need to finish skinning this while it's still fresh." She shook his hands off. "Besides, I hear the Mayor of Dyrford is really cute. I can't run off and miss that."

He chuckled. "Now you're just buttering me up."

She sighed again and there was a moment of silence between them as she sawed at the third knee. Gideon gnawed at the bone of the deer leg. The sounds of the daily life of Caed Nua drifted over the wall on the wind. Lillian pulled off the third leg. "Do you want kids, Eder?" she asked suddenly.

"Yeah," he responded, surprised. "I like kids. They're fun. Once they get past the screaming stage, but that don't last forever. Just never been a good time for settling down, what with the Hollowborn Plague and all."

"It is over now." She started in on the last leg.

"Yeah, but the rumor going around town is that I'm sweet on the Lady of Caed Nua," he grinned.

She turned and flashed him a smile, "Are they wrong?"

"No, but they don't need to gossip about it." They fell back into silence as she sawed. "Do you not want kids?"

She let out a long stream of air. "I don't know." She seemed to search around for words before saying, "Did I ever tell you why I left home?"

"Your pa killed your dog, right?"

"Yeah, that was part of it. But that was when I was fifteen. I left when I was seventeen." She paused at her work, her back still to him so he couldn't see her face, but emotion rolled off her shoulders. "Yeah. I was seventeen. I... had a pregnancy scare. Just some boy from town. Everyone was pushing me to marry him and settle. But when I... when it wasn't… I..." she stopped and drew in and let out a long, ragged breath. "I stopped and I looked at what my life would look like if I had, and realized I'd probably have five kids by now and be drinking myself to death. So I left."

"Hey," he reached out and stroked her hair. "What's this all about, Lils?"

"Fucking marriage proposals!"

He froze. "What?" This was not where he was afraid this was going.

She threw her hands up in the air, although still holding the saw, with the fourth deer leg still hanging on by a tendon. "I'm a fucking Lady now, Eder, which obviously means I now have responsibilities which apparently include everyone trying to make a bid for my womb. Because that's what I'm good for. Pushing out heirs." She took the saw and sliced through the last tendon, the deer leg falling to the ground. Gideon snapped it up. "Lord Foldisen yesterday, Lord Rhasten coming by today, so yeah. I went out and shot a damn deer to remind myself who I am." She forcefully placed down the saw and took another knife from her bag.

"You know how we can solve this problem, right?"

Now she froze. "If you're proposing, Eder, I will skin you instead of this deer."

"Nah," he ruffled her hair, grinning, "I was gonna say make Aloth your heir."

"What?" She spun around, "Aloth?"

"He's basically our son, anyways."

"He's as old as we are combined!"

"Yeah but in elf years..."

She stared at him for a moment before the corners of her mouth twitched, and then she full out broke down in laughter.

"See," he grinned, "that's what I was going for."

"Oh, good gods, nobody would know what to do with that." Pulling a handkerchief from her pocket, she wiped tears away from her eyes. "Hell, yeah. If I ever see Aloth again I'll tell him he's promoted to Heir of Caed Nua. I'm sure he'd love that." She snorted again. "Lordlings will need to find someone else to pop out their babies because my line is covered. This is so stupid. I love it."

"Hey, isn't that what you invite me over for?"

"Yeah, yeah," she smiled. "But I really need to be responsible and finish this deer. Then we can have lunch."

"Aww, are we eating the deer?"

"Where do you think meat comes from, Eder?"

"I know, I know. I'll meet you in the Hall, then. I'll try to scare off any Lordlings that show up." He winked.

"Just try not to cause a diplomatic crisis."

"Hey, I'm very friendly," and with a last squeeze of her shoulder he turned and walked to the gate of Caed Nua.


End file.
